When to Override an Algorithm

Algorithms are getting a lot of press recently. They are simply a set of rules a computer can follow, but when combined with predictive modeling and machine learning, they can be a powerful tool to help us make good decisions. People analytics is bringing the power of models and algorithms to help with people-related business decisions. Using algorithms, a computer can help us make hiring decisions based on an applicant's predicted performance, and not their first name, or help us learn which employees might be getting offers to work at other companies.

As algorithms grow in accuracy and popularity, we can consider a future in which all of our decisions are made using data, statistics, logic, and other rational processes. Will algorithms ever become so helpful that they make our emotions and intuition irrelevant?